Marrying Durable and Sleek in a Rugged Tablet Design
From restaurants and retail stores to warehouses and healthcare facilities, tablets have become an essential tool for mobilizing the workforce and helping them do their jobs more efficiently. Regardless of what industry you’re in, when you’re looking for a rugged tablet, you want one that is durable enough to handle your work environment but also sleek enough to be modern and ergonomic.
So how does one marry these two different styles in one device? Discover what each style entails and how opposites truly attract when it comes to combining elements in tablet design.
What Does Durable Mean?
Workplace tablets get a lot of use daily under a variety of conditions. So, when it comes to choosing a rugged tablet, the more durable, the better. Whether you are looking for tablets to use in a warehouse, office space, restaurant, healthcare setting, retail store, or on a casino floor, you need a device that can continue to perform even when dropped, exposed to dust or water splashes, or carried through harsh environments. The best way to handle any and all of these conditions and elements is to get a ruggedized tablet.
“Ruggedized” is a term used to describe a tablet that is encased in a material that is designed to be hard-wearing and shock-resistant. A tablet’s ruggedness is also indicated by its Ingress Protection (IP) rating. This rating system was designed by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and tells you how resistant a device is to damage from solid particles (such as dust and dirt) and moisture or liquids (which can range from kitchen steam or rain droplets to direct spills or even a full dunking).
An IP rating includes two numerals. The first indicates the device enclosure’s resistance to solid particles, on a scale from 0 (no protection) to 6 (no penetration of dust). The second numeral measures the enclosures resistance to liquids, ranging from 0 (no protection) to 9 (protection from high-pressure and high-temperature water jets), with 8 being protected against full immersion. The higher the rating, the more durable the device. Most business owners looking for ruggedized tablets want a rating of at least IP54 (protected from dust and water splashes).
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What Does Sleek Mean?
When it comes to a sleek tablet design, most people are looking for something appealing to the eye, sophisticated, and ergonomic. While tablets can be mounted on a wall or stand, most likely employees will be carrying the devices around, performing tasks such as busting lines on the sales floor, sharing medical information or test results with patients, or capturing data on the warehouse floor. The tablet should look professional in front of clients. It may even need to be compact enough to fit in a pocket or small bag, depending on the type of work your employees will be doing with it.
- If a tablet is mounted or on a stationary stand (as part of a kitchen display system, for example), be sure to have the right size tablet for your environment. Can it fit in tight spaces like wall mounts so it is sleek but also ergonomically correct for the environment or application?
- If the tablet will be mobile, you want a device that is lightweight enough to be carried around for a full shift, and one that looks modern enough to have in front of patients or customers.
When it comes to sleek design, the sizing of the device is a major factor to consider. Tablets between 7 and 10 inches usually weigh less than a pound, making them lightweight and easy to carry.
Additionally, you may need peripherals attached or linked to the device, depending on your industry. Items such as scanners, holsters, and card processors may add another element to the way your employees travel with the device, so having a sleek tablet to start with will help in the process of determining which add-ons will or won’t work for your environment.
Nothing can happen in this marriage of durability and sleek design if functionality isn’t incorporated. Functionality means being able to offer optional configurations that can make a unit specific to the environment in which it will be used.
Opposites Attract
In the end, you want the elegant look and feel of a consumer-grade tablet but the durability of a rugged design . So how can you marry these elements into one device? Finding a tablet that has been tested in the harshest conditions, includes Gorilla Glass capacitive touchscreen technology, and is still sleek and sophisticated in design. This may seem like a difficult task, but an experienced solutions provider can help you find a tablet with all of the features you need.
The look of rugged tablets has changed over the years, and rather than being bulky and cumbersome, they are now looking more modern and attractive and are easier to manage in your day-to-day work environment. You don’t have to compromise on durability, ergonomics or a sleek, modern look. Invest in technology that gives you everything you need.
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